February 22, 2006
Police texting scheme nets first criminal
A 43-year-old man was arrested in Brandon on Tuesday thanks to Police DIrect, a service that notifies residents of current crimes by text message or email. Bury St Edmonds Today reports.
"Launched last August by Suffolk Police, the scheme enables the force to send out more than 200,000 messages in an hour.
In the past, it has been used to warn residents about bogus callers who may be operating in their midst, but this week it was used to trace a wanted criminal.
Around 6,000 messages were sent out on Tuesday lunchtime warning users of a prolific church burglar believed to be in the area – and it worked.
Within an hour, an eagle-eyed resident had called the police saying they had spotted the man, who was promptly arrested and charged with theft and burglary.
"We've had lots of small successes with the scheme, with upwards of 6,000 people now signed up, but this is the first apprehension we have had. Chf Supt Mark Cordell, area commander for Suffolk Police said. "It just shows what an excellent crime-fighting tool it is. By using the eyes and the ears of the public, we can help make the county an even safer place to live in". [via SMSTextNews]
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